Rangers lose no-hitter in 9th

ARLINGTON - Joe Mauer's clean single to center field with one out in the ninth inning broke up a no-hit bid by four Texas Rangers pitchers.

The Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-0, on Monday night in the fifth no-hitter this season broken up in the ninth inning.

Starter Rich Harden was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day and went 62/3 innings before being lifted after throwing 111 pitches. Matt Harrison got the final out of the seventh. Darren O'Day pitched the eighth, and All-Star closer Neftali Feliz got one in the ninth before Mauer singled.

In the matchup of division leaders, Texas was pursuing its first no-hitter since Kenny Rogers' perfect game against California on July 28, 1994.

There have been five no-hitters this season, including perfect games by Oakland's Dallas Braden and Philadelphia's Roy Halladay. The last no-hitter was Matt Garza of Tampa Bay against Detroit on July 26.

The plate umpire Monday was Jim Joyce. He was the first base umpire who made the incorrect call with two outs in the ninth inning that cost Detroit's Armando Galarraga a perfect game.

Harden (5-4) struck out six and walked five, including Michael Cuddyer in the seventh before manager Ron Washington went to the mound for a lengthy discussion. It wasn't until Joyce went to the mound, where the entire Rangers infield was already patting Harden on the back, that the pitching change was made.

Day, a submarine-throwing right-hander, got a fortunate bounce for an out when Delmon Young's leadoff grounder in the eighth ricocheted off first base. Rookie Mitch Moreland retrieved the ball and flipped to O'Day for the out.

Feliz had walked a batter in the ninth before Mauer broke up the no-hit bid.

Harden, who had been on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, walked the leadoff hitters in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but his infield turned double plays in the fifth and sixth.

Harden's last major league start was Aug. 7 at Oakland, taking the loss while allowing three runs in 21/3 innings. Harden showed he was ready to be activated when he allowed one run and struck out 10 in a six-inning minor league rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

David Murphy had a two-run triple in the first for the Rangers against Nick Blackburn (7-8), who allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

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